Mario Murgado

Mario Murgado (born September 12, 1961) is an American automobile dealer and philanthropist.

Early life and education

Murgado was born in Havana, Cuba. When the United States liberalized immigration for Cubans escaping Castro's regime in 1966, his parents put the 4-year-old on a plane to Miami. A foster family cared for him until his parents arrived months later. They settled in the neighborhood that became known as Little Havana.[1] He earned a B.A. in economics from LaSalle University and studied in the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School.[2]

Career

Murgado began his automotive career in 1981 with the Braman Motors organization in Miami. He eventually worked his way up from salesman to president and CEO of Braman Imports. In 1993, he became chief operating officer of Palm Beach Imports, with BMW, Porsche, Audi, Rolls Royce and Bentley dealerships.[1][3] In December 2000, Murgado followed his lifelong dream of owning his own business and purchased the Brickell Automotive Group on S.W. 8th Street, Miami's famed Calle Ocho, with Honda, Pontiac and GMC brands. The dealerships quickly grew from selling hundreds to thousands of vehicles per year, and Murgado has since earned many industry accolades.[4] He opened Audi and Infiniti locations in Stuart, Florida in 2013. In its first year in operation, the Audi dealership won Audi's Elite Magna Society award, the highest honor bestowed upon Audi dealerships.[5] In 2014, Murgado purchased Ocean Cadillac in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida.[6] Also in 2014, Murgado opened Brickell Mazda in Miami.[7] In 2017, the company purchased Honda and Volkswagen stores in Chicago and was awarded a new Bentley dealership in Jacksonville. Future plans also include Alfa Romeo and Maserati dealerships in Stuart and Jacksonville. Construction on new Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, and Jeep dealerships in Miami began in 2019.[8][9] Murgado opened Bentley Jacksonville in 2020, investing $20 million in a two-story, 4900-square foot dealership at the intersection of Butler Boulevard and Interstate 95.[10]

Philanthropy and Civic Involvement

Murgado is involved with many civic and philanthropic efforts. In 2020, he made a million-dollar commitment to St. Thomas University, creating the Murgado School of Accounting.[11] He is chair of the board for Nicklaus Children's Health System, parent organization of Nicklaus Children's Hospital.[12] He is on the board of directors of Florida International University.[13] He has previously served as chairman of the Florida Automobile Dealers Association, the American Honda National Dealer Advisory Board, the board of the South Florida Automobile Dealers Association, the board of trustees of St. Thomas University in Miami and the executive board of the Miami chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization.[1]

Awards

Inductee Miami-Dade Hall of Fame, Time Magazine-Dealer of the Year nominee, AIADA Impact Dealer of the Year award 2007, GM Mark of Excellence Award, nominated for 2011 Father of the Year by Father's Day Council & American Diabetes Association, 2011 Ultimate CEO Award from South Florida Business Journal, Automotive News Dealer of Distinction Award.[1]

References
  1. "TRANSPORTATION Mario Murgado". www.tcpalm.com. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  2. "Mario Murgado-Miami CEO Awards". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  3. "Big Man in Little Havana". WardsAuto. 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  4. Kamal, Tariq. "Living the Dream". www.autodealertodaymagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  5. "Long wait, quick win for Florida Audi dealer". Automotive News. 2015-05-25. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  6. "Brickell Motors finally buys a Cadillac". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  7. "Brickell Motors Opens Mazda Dealership in Miami". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  8. News, Community (2018-12-18). "Brickell Motors Long History on Calle Ocho". Miami's Community News. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  9. "Brickell Motors buys land for Bentley dealership, also plans to sell Maserati and Alfa Romeo | Jax Daily Record". Financial News & Daily Record - Jacksonville, Florida. 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  10. "Bentley arrives in Jacksonville with luxury automobiles starting at $200,000 | Jax Daily Record". Jacksonville Daily Record - Jacksonville, Florida. 2020-08-21. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  11. "New Gus Machado College of Business Complex to Be Formally Dedicated at St. Thomas University". AP NEWS. 2020-10-08. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  12. Kent, Cindy. "People on the move: Comcast names regional senior vice president, sales and marketing". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  13. vcard, Download. "Mario Murgado". FIU Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
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